Two of Atlanta’s busiest interstates were shut down for hours Thursday morning by fiery crashes and lengthy investigations.
The shutdowns caused problems for commuters and travelers headed to holiday destinations on one of the busiest travel days of the year. In DeKalb County, I-85 South was closed for more than five hours before lanes reopened shortly before 8 a.m. At the Cobb Cloverleaf, I-285 West was shut down for the entire morning rush.
One person was killed in the I-85 incident when the moving truck he was driving tipped over. The victim’s body was found in the driver’s seat of the burned-out truck near Cheshire Bridge Road, according to the DeKalb County Fire Department.
The vehicle was on its side and engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived about 3 a.m., department spokesperson Capt. Jaeson Daniels said. The victim, whose name was not released, was the only person injured in the single-vehicle wreck.
No one was injured in the Cobb County wreck, which was reported about 5 a.m. when a tractor-trailer overturned on the ramp from I-75 South to I-285 West. The truck burst into flames, also catching parts of the interstate on fire, according to fire officials.
For more than two hours, fire crews worked to put out hotspots, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported. Cleanup efforts continued nearly three hours more as crews with the Georgia Department of Transportation evaluated the road for safety.
The I-75 ramp and all lanes of the I-285 outer loop were reopened by 9:45 a.m. when the wreckage was moved to a right shoulder, the Traffic Center reported.
No other details about the Cobb crash were immediately available.
The dual shutdowns complicated matters on one of the busiest travel days of the year. AAA is predicting metro Atlanta traffic to be heaviest between noon and 6 p.m. Thursday. On Christmas Eve, the worst time to drive will be between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., while the best time to hit the road is before 1 p.m.
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